"Beautiful," G. Love featuring Tristan Prettyman

Song: "Beautiful"
Album: Lemonade
Artist: G. Love featuring Tristan Prettyman

This song captures the feeling of a new relationship (a long time in the making), with all it's ambiguity, posturing, excitement, possibility and indecision. It's light, fun, sexy and playful.

In the tradition of "Baby It's Cold Outside," this is a duet between daters, each with an agenda. Fifty eight years ago, Ella Fitzgerald wouldn't have sung about Louis Jordan taking off her shirt. It was a time that required much more subtlety and a pretext. But the playful, free bluntness of this song is one of the qualities that makes it a winner. Play count = 101.

Official Video

"Let It Be Sung," Jack Johnson & Matt Costa

Song: "Let It Be Sung"
Album: A Brokedown Melody
Artist: Jack Johnson & Matt Costa

I'm a huge Jack Johnson fan. I even did a cover of his song Rodeo Clowns on youtube. But, when I heard this song on the radio one day while driving home, it resonated strongly with me.

It's a collaboration with Matt Costa, and Zach Gill of ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra), both of whom I also enjoy and appreciate. There's something special about hearing a collaboration between artists in this age of isolation. It suggests a humility in the artists-- that they would rather create something beautiful together than insisting on owning every possible right to everything they produce. There are good collaborations and questionable ones, this is a good one.

The production is cool. The beginning of the song sounds far away-- like maybe you're walking down the beach to your friend's house where music is already being played, and you can hear it through the open door. Then, you enter the room and the music is clear and loud.